DU Beat brings to you the highlights from a day full of music and art at Oasis’18, BITS Pilani.
Immense creativity was seen oozing at Oasis’18 as hand painted structures, instead of store-bought festoons, adorned the campus. A band of handmade life-size minions, displayed playing outside the BITS Pilani auditorium became the most popular photo booth. Other Instagram-friendly hot-spots were- an ‘Oasis’ display, letters of which were adorned with paintings of malicious women from pop culture, and a gory arrangement of Satan crying a continuous stream of blood. Overall, The artworks complimented this Oasis’ ‘evil’ theme for the year.
The Stage Play competition, primarily organised by the Department of Theatre, BITS Pilani, had eight participants including the team from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. The competition was adjudged by actor and theatre artist Shilpi Marwah, a well-known name in the Delhi Theatre Circuit. Teams performed bilingual plays in Hindi and English, with limited props and a time allotment of 16 minutes.
After two teams backed out from the theme-based contemporary dance competition, choreography finals were performed by the remaining six teams. Sensation from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi, gave a sensational performance of their production, ‘The Wonder’. The participants were allotted a time limit of 10 minutes, excluding the 7 minutes allowed for the pre-performance set up. Among the other Delhi University Colleges were, College of Art, Gargi College and Lady Shri Ram College.
The classical dance competition, Tandav was open for participants trained in art forms Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Sattriya. Dancers had the entire SAC hall to present their piece.
“Prepare to use all your resources and brain power to fetch the most ridiculous, unfathomable and extraordinary things possible from a list of items given to you. Each object on this list earns you specified points and the team with the highest points wins,” says the description of an event, Beg Borrow Steal, on the Oasis’18 mobile app. Organised by the Department of Informalz, the event took place in FD2 QT of the BITS premises.
Ten teams participated in an event called Cocktail, organised by the Oasis Hindi Press in which participants gave their opinions on questions, such as whether hostels should be co-ed. Organised by the Public Policy Club, the Turncoat was adjudged by BITSian’s and club members, Mohit and Anshul, and saw more than 40 individual participations.
The Tango Night saw performances by the Argentine Embassy in the open stage area of the BITS premises. Dancer Alejandra Caceres, a delegate from the Argentina Embassy, informed that their well-rehearsed piece comprised mostly impromptu steps, since they danced the way they felt at that moment.
English Prof Show, the most awaited event for day one of Oasis’18 saw a large audience turn up, for renowned English virtuoso guitarist Guthrie Govan’s performance. The crowd expressed their appreciation by hooting and barricades banging. Jazzy genres and heavy metal rock instrumentals were played through tracks such as ‘Bad Asteroid’, ‘Sevens’ and ‘Furtive Jack’. Guthrie’s bandmate, 22 year old bass guitarist Mohini Dey impressed the crowd with her short solo. Drummer Gino Banks also played a drum solo that reverberated through everybody’s chests. Young music enthusiasts at the BITS Pilani auditorium were thrilled to get clicked in a group selfie with the stars, at the end of the concert.
Dyal Singh College faces a big administrative crisis as the Principal’s office gets sealed over ongoing probe on financial and administrative irregularities.
Dyal Singh College, faces a big crisis as a part of the ongoing tussle between the Principal and the Chairman. It all started when, on September 24, 2018, Governing Body [GB] chairman Mr. Amitabh Sinha issued an order, sending the Principal on a ‘long leave’. The reason stated was alleged him of being guilty for the financial and administrative irregularities. The Principal, I.S. Bakshi was charged with serious allegations regarding the state of financial and administrative irregularities and was asked to avoid visiting campus during the inquiry against him. Despite the notice, Bakshi has been continued coming to college, chiding the allegations as “illegal” with mala fide intentions.
The tussle grew stronger when the Chairman overturned the decision of the college’s Election Committee to cancel the election of Rohan Awana, an ABVP member, as president.
Things escalated as Mr. Sinha sealed his office on Friday, claiming it had been occupied ‘without authority’. The Principal also received a letter from the college’s bank stating that no transactions will be processed with his signature, as they have been mandated by the GB to conduct all official transactions through the officiating or the acting principal.
In a letter addressed to the chairman dated October 10th 2018, the branch manager of State Bank of India, Lodhi Road stated that the appointment of the acting principal should be done in accordance with the prescribed guidelines of the Ordinance XVIII which states that in absence of the Principal, the vice-principal will act as the principal, and in the vice-principal’s absence, the most-senior teacher will take over the administration and financial duties. This stands for colleges other than those that are maintained by the Government Of India.
According to a report in Jagran Josh, the tussle between the Principal and Chairman is reportedly causing financial losses to employees. DSC teachers’ Association’s president PK Parihar stated that the money is not being transferred into their PF account because of which they are losing interest and the medical reimbursement of all, especially the pensioners, is under threat.
Following the sealing of the office, Bakshi will be allowed inside the college campus only after the convener of the inquiry committee, Mr. OP Malik, retired IPS officer and DGP, provides written information, according to recent sources on the issue.
Sources: The Indian Express, Jagran Josh
Feature Image Credits: The Hindu, image of the notice from the college’s official website
The highly anticipated cultural fest of IIT Kanpur (IIT K), Antaragni, began on 25th October and is scheduled to go on till 28th October. The four-day extravaganza witnesses teams from across the country and hosts numerous events dotted throughout the day. We bring to you the report of the first two days.
The first day of Antaragni’18 began later in the day with the inauguration ceremony and was followed by the preliminary rounds of the fusion band competition and DJing competition.
Ritambara, the fashion show competition, also held it’s preliminary rounds at later hours of the day. The event saw messages on social issues being conveyed via dramatic costumes and sequences. The fashion society of Manav Rachna University payed tribute to Sikhism in their performance and the fashion society of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women based their theme on queer rights.
The highlight of the day was the first celebrity performance of the fest by India’s leading Hindi-rock bands, The Local Train.
The concert was enthralling and swept the crowd off its feet. The band gave a power packed performance with crowd favourite songs like Aaoge Tum Kabhi, Dil Mere, and Aaftab.
Day two began with the photography workshop by Vikram Singh Rooprai, renowned art, architecture, and monuments photographer. He addressed the bits and nuances of outdoor photography, making the audience understand what sets a picture apart from the rest. Talking about the understanding of a subject and idea behind a picture, he said, “A lot depends on reaching the right place at the right time.”
In Nrityangana, the classical solo competition,
Sreelekshmi Namboothiri of Lady Sri Ram College came first, followed by Ann Afreen of Janki Devi Memorial College, and Aadya Kalia of Miranda House at second and third position respectively. The judges were Ms Kavita Dwibedi and Ms Radhika Kathal.
Pair on Stage, the duo singing competition, adjudged by Mohit Dobhal, Sagar Garg, and Radhika Kathal ended with 12 finalists. The parliamentary Debate competition was almost delayed by five hours, leaving the participants extremely anxious. The next event of the day was the stage play competition. The jury panel of Harish Patel and Rahul Khanna shortlisted plays for the final round.
The Creative writing competition saw the participation of over 70 people who had to write on one topic out of four within 2.5 hours. The participants had to put their thinking caps on in the Movie Quiz. Under quizmaster Anandita Basu Roy, the cinema enthusiasts competed to win the title of the ultimate movie buff. In the General Quiz, Ankur Banga, Nallapati Chaitanya Sathvik, and Shardul Singh from IIT K won the first prize. The second and the third prize also went to IIT K students.
The NukkadNatak prelims lived up to the hype with a plethora of stirring performances. Out of the many participants, ARSD College, Shivaji College, Delhi Technical University, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Venkateswara College, Hansraj College, Hindu College, and Maitreyi College have adjudged the finalists. In Synchronicity, the rock/metal band competition, 519, Last Train to Paradise, and Confuzone emerged as the winners.
In the literary contest Word Games, Vallari S. Aditya of St. Stephen’s came first. Priyanshi Singh, Siddhy Raman, and P. Upasana of Indraprastha College for Women came second, and Vartika Pandey, Aditi Kishore, and Anshi Srivastava of KNIT Sultanpur came third. Teams of three from various colleges participated in the event, where they were given two hours to solve a combination of puzzles.
Aamne Samne was a competition where participants were given a topic on the spot, on which they were to have a discussion. For the same, 48 participants were divided into groups of six. Giriraj Kishore, Neladhar Jagudi, and Ravindra Prabhat, believed to be pioneers in Hindi Literature, were the judges. Participants were marked on the basis of the content of their argument and expression. Out of the 48 participants, 20 have been selected for the final round.
The preliminary rounds of Antaragini Idol, the solo singing competition, was held at L- 8, Academic Block. It was judged by two members of Culture Roots Foundation. 150+ students participated in the competition.
The auditorium was jam-packed with an audience during Jitterbug, the group western dance competition. A total of 19 participating teams competed for a spot in finals that is set to be held on the 28th of October. The performance by the home team was met with a thunderous applause and the chants of “IIT K ka tempo high hai” (a signature chant of IIT K that signifies unity). Out of 18 teams, eight teams made it to the finals based on the judgement of Mr Ricky Sethi, Akash Ambedkar, and Pankaj Roy.
Ms Sunipa Bhowmik and Mr Rajesh Sharma judged Naqaab, the mask- making competition. The participants were judged on the basis of innovation and neatness. The winners of the competition were Gaurav Singh and Sneh Sharma and the runner-ups were Labdika Sharma and Gaurang Garg.
Comic-Con, the stand-up comedy contest, the finals of Ritambhara, and classical music concerts are also scheduled post-midnight.
After 8 months of waiting, the concerned authorities have left the decision hanging, over a professor accused of misconduct.
On Wednesday, 24 October, various students of the University of Delhi’s Bharti College protested in the college campus against the alleged ignorance of the Governing Body (GB) for not following the recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in a sexual harassment case against a teacher. The protest comes after 8 months after the case came to light through a student’s complaint against the accused professor. However, the failure to take any action has been met with backlash from the students in the varsity.
In February, a student had written to the university authorities against a teacher, who she said was sending her lewd messages and trying to have “vulgar conversations” with her. She had also submitted a purported video of her confronting and slapping the teacher, with him apologising, following which the college sent him on leave pending enquiry. It is to be noted that the college authorities decided to suspend the professor in June, but they did not receive approval from the varsity authorities.
The ICC, which submitted its report on August 28, has suggested compulsory retirement for the accused. “We submitted our recommendations on August 28 to the university. Students are angry because, in June, the GB had suspended the teacher, but the university did not send its approval. He’s not coming to college, but he’s getting his full salary. So there is some resentment among students because of this, and because the ICC recommendations have not been followed,” told ICC presiding officer Rakhi Jain, to The IndianExpress.
The college principal, however, said that the procedure was being followed. Officiating principal Mukti Sanyal said the college and GB were following procedure. “There are long-drawn processes which have to be followed. The ICC has submitted its report and the GB has done whatever it needs to do at the stage at which it is but there are other stages to be completed. It has to finally be ratified by the university and get the V-C’s approval. We’re steadily and surely working in the direction so that the right thing is done,” she told the same daily.
GB Chairman Ajay Gaur said the “matter was under process”.
DU Registrar Tarun Kumar Das and Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi did not respond to calls and texts by The Indian Express.
CoHo Dorms is a student housing provider in and around Delhi. It boasts of high tech facilities with feedback and complaint mobile apps for students, cleanliness and quality staff.
However, students have made allegations of alleged employee misconduct against CoHo. A recent incident has come to light, wherein a student of Delhi School of Economics (DSE) has alleged physical and mental assault by a staff member at CoHo’s Kamla Nagar residency.
The resident being referred to is Siddhi Sidmukh, an LSR alumna who is currently pursuing M.A. in Economics from DSE. A recipient of several beauty pageants awards, Siddhi claims to be the oldest and highest paying resident at CoHo, Building No. 38, Kamla Nagar, New Delhi. She claims that she was attacked by a resident faculty member named Mamta Gupta. A confrontation with regards to A.C. repairs and general behaviour apparently escalated into verbal threats of physical assault Siddhi claimed that she was subsequently beaten up and thrashed. Several other members of the residence stood witness to the same, and it was only after all the resident girls collectively tried to calm things down, that the violence seemed to diffuse. Siddhi has provided DU Beat with pictures as proof of the injuries she endured. A police complaint was lodged by Siddhi, and she also conveyed the particulars of the incident to the authorities at CoHo. However, the complainant says no action was taken against the accused in this particular case. They have also reportedly failed to provide Siddhi with video recordings of the same incident (the area was under CCTV surveillance). Siddhi also claims that the security guard refused to intervene and that Ms. Mamta has often accused her of “selling her body” and general misbehaviour.
The DU Beat correspondent has been told that another resident at CoHo, Ms. Soumyaa, has claimed that Ms. Mamta had been a nuisance to the residence for a long time. Several complaints were lodged against her conduct and actions, but the same has gone in vain. The authorities at CoHo have reportedly failed to take action and address the issue. “We have an app wherein we write complaints. I did so twice, received acknowledgements, but nothing was done”, said Soumyaa.
Notably, CoHo staff has been unresponsive to calls made by DU Beat.
In a regretful incident, some teachers have alleged that a ‘casteist’ question was included in a question paper conducted by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board.
Another incident causing ripples in the sanctimony of the varsity recently surfaced. A controversy has emerged this time over an allegedly ‘racist and misogynist’ question put into the Question Paper for the selection of primary teachers. In this connection, a police complaint has been filed at the Maurice Nagar Police Station, North Campus, against the alleged malefactors, the receipt of which has been confirmed by the officials at the station. .
Professor Hansraj Suman, President, DU SC/ST Teachers’ Association, alleges that Multiple Choice Question Number 61 in the Hindi Section of the paper, which was conducted by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) on Saturday, uses derogatory and unacceptable terms for the Dalit Community. He was the one who filed the police complaint on behalf of the Association. According to the DSSSB, this was an inadvertent error, caused due to unintended circumstances. Also, the Board added that the question will not be included during the final evaluation of scripts.
DU Beat tried contacting officials from the Association, but a connection couldn’t be established. Their take on the matter shall be updated here as soon as it is procured.
In an unfortunate series of events, a girl was denied her identity card in college as her name was not registered in the college records, all owing to an admission scam that cost her family 1.7 lakhs.
After attending a week of college, a girl in the University of Delhi was unable to get her identity card issued. It was later found that the admission slip furnished by the student was forged. The student’s name was not found in the admissions list as her admission was not legally processed by the college administration.
The news of fake admissions in the highly coveted Delhi University does not come as a surprise.
The police arrested a 21-year-old man, accused of allegedly duping a man on the grounds of getting his daughter admission in one of Delhi University’s colleges. In the FIR registered against the accused, Ashish Tanwar, the complainant, Arvind Kumar Singh, alleged that he took an astounding 1,70,000 for getting the admission done. (as reported by The Indian Express)
As per the FIR that was filed, the complainant had encountered the accused via a common friend, who attended coaching classes with his daughter. The accused reassured the complainant that he and his brother helped students get admission into the University of Delhi. Post this, he allegedly asked for money in order for him to start the complainant’s daughter’s admission, according to the FIR.
“I initially gave him Rs 40,000 after which the accused gave me an admission slip. He then asked me to give him the rest of the money so that he could finalise the process,” the FIR stated. “The accused took the rest of the money in cash from the complainant outside the college, following which his daughter attended classes for a week. After that, the accused took back the admission slip under various pretexts,” the officer told The Indian Express.
Investigative journalists offer selfless service in terms of promoting dissenting opinions and discourse in society. Sadly, people in power often resort to threatening their dignity, profession and lives. And it’s only getting worse.
Last week, a Saudi Arabian journalist named Jamal Khushoggi was allegedly murdered in the Saudi Consulate of Instanbul in Turkey. Turkish officials claimed to have audio and video evidence of the same which Saudi Arabia blatantly denied. This ploy on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia has faced international backlash, with the White house condemning the attack and considering sanctions.
With a twitter following of more than 2 million, Khushoggi was an outspoken critic of Saudi governance and policies and a member of the nouveau elite among journalists and writers worldwide. From a self imposed exile in the United States of America, he contributed to editorials in BBC, Al Jazeera and the Washington Post. He is infamous among the conservative Arab elite for campaigning that Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood should be included in choices available to the region’s citizens. Saudi officials classify the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. Saudi Arabia is notorious for ‘eliminating’ all those it sees as a threat to its sovereignty. A well reputed journalist with a vast and infiltrating network of informants and sources, and an advocate for democratic governance in the Middle East, Khushoggi was without a doubt, a prime target.
On 13 June 2018, a leading newspaper journalist and editor in Indian-administered Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari, was murdered by gunmen in Srinagar, India. Bukhari, a frequent contributor to the BBC News website, was attacked in his car near the office of the Rising Kashmir newspaper, which he founded and edited. He previously worked for The Hindu, and was well known for groundbreaking reports, unprecedented exposés, and strong views about the ideals of journalism.
In September 2017, Gauri Lankesh, a prominent Indian journalist critical of Hindu nationalist politics was shot dead in Karnataka.. The death of such a high profile journalist triggered protests in several Indian cities including Delhi. The news made top headlines in Indian media, with editors and journalists condemning her murder and paying tribute to her work.
In the same year, Zehra Dogan, a Kurdish artist and journalist, who was the founder and the editor of Jinha, a feminist Kurdish news agency was jailed by the Turkish government for a painting of the destruction of the city of Nusaybin in 2017. This also faced international backlash, although in vain.
These cases highlight the egregious nature of the increasing crimes against those working in the media. According to the BBC, more than 2,500 journalists have been killed since 1990, and media rights groups warn of a growing trend of journalists being targeted for the work they do. This occupational hazard ranges from physical harm and violence to rape threats and even conviction or imprisonment in certain autocratic states.
This has had a detrimental effect on reporting standards, since high profile kidnappings and beheadings of foreign journalists in 2012 onwards sparked a shift in news organisations’ policy, with fewer correspondents being sent into danger zones.
Most of those killed were murdered for their investigations into political corruption and organised crime, according to several media rights groups. Imprisonment has always been a form of intimidation. These practices are aimed towards silencing those in jail and intimidating those outside reporting it. Journalists have been targeted by security forces and militants alike. Publications have been denied federal government adverts—a key source of revenue for smaller newspapers.
In India, with nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of ‘anti-national’ thought from the national debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media, primarily due to cases of violence against these ‘anti-national’ writers. Adding to that, radical ‘nationalist journalists’ have also targeted other writers, with online smear campaigns and threats of physical reprisals.
When Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri separatist convicted over the 2001 Indian parliament attack was hanged in 2013, copies of newspapers were seized from the press and the stands. Newspapers were forced to cease publication for approximately four days.
Since the outbreak of armed rebellion in Kashmir in early 1990, media in the region has had to work on a razor’s edge in what is effectively the world’s most heavily militarised zone. Authorities had forced several media platforms to suspend publication during the protests against Indian rule in 2008 and 2010 as well.
These instances compel us to think about the endangerment of freedom of speech and expression of media. Not only are these against the very foundation of democratic ideals, but also imperative to avoid negative flow of information, false propaganda, heavy state censorship, and asymmetric information. Media should not be seen as an enemy in a democratic set up. Stifling the media does not help to strengthen the democracy. The occupational hazard that comes complimentary with the status of ‘the people’s voice’ is far too detrimental and comes full circle when governments, state functioning, and economies implode, as history has proven time and again.
It’s that time of the year again when the week-long break is what all college students wait for. The mid-sem break is the perfect time to rouse those latent hobbies and interests that can keep you from dropping out, till the next mid semester. Here is how you can utilise the break effectively.
We, as college students are very busy during the semester with classes, assignments, friends, and internships. It becomes difficult to have time for everything that needs to be done. When break comes around, we have a lot of time for ourselves .However, it is important to use this time wisely and to stay focused. Here are a few things which can help:
Spend time with your family – As an outstation student, one rarely gets time to visit his/her family. Even if you commute, college life can get so busy that you do not get to spend as much time as you would like to with your family. Holiday breaks are a perfect time to spend time with your family. Spend time together and tell each other what is going on in your lives.
Catch up with friends from school – With a hectic college schedule, it becomes difficult to keep a track of all the friends from high school. Still, social media has helped us stay connected with some. Mid-sem break is the perfect time to catch up and remember all the crazy stuff you have done in your school days.
Pick up a hobby – When was the last time you thought of playing the violin? Though you might have lost touch with your hobbies or pastimes, it’s never too late to start again.
Image Credits: WikiHow
Sleep – Sleep can seem evasive when you are busy with college and assignments. We tend to stay up late, trying complete assignments which we were unable to do during the day. Over break, make a point to catch up on sleep. It may be tempting to stay up late, but catching up on sleep will help you renergise for the next few weeks.
Update your resume or start making one – This week long break is the perfect time to add all the volunteer activities and internships you have done in the semester. It is important to update your resume so that you look as great as possible when you go for job interviews, or even scholarships.
Image Credits: India Today
Read something apart from your course books -Haven’t picked up a novel in the last four months? With the mounting pile of course work, multiple readings for the same topic, classes, a dozen societies and some socialising squeezed in between, reading for leisure has been pushed into a corner somewhere at the back of our minds, where we know we would like to read that book, but just haven’t got around to actually doing it. Pick some novels or articles this mid-sem break and enhance your knowledge.
As it is said, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’ However, it is only through making concrete, time-bound plans that you will be able to accomplish all you want this break, and nothing is more satisfying than a period where one can proudly claim of time well-spent.
Day 1 of Rendezvous, the Annual Cultural fest of IIT Delhi started with the Lifestyle Prelims, the college fashion competition, which saw models strutting in themed ensembles and high heels. Galore, the Fashion Society of Maitreyi College delivered a body positive walk. “We want the heart high and the chest bigger,” they quoted. The society, anxious about probable mishaps such as tripping and slipping during the performance, complained about the dusty stage and careless placement of wires. A slight delay was experienced, owing to the inadequacy of housekeeping staff. Among the 13 participating societies were Delhi University’s Motilal Nehru College, Dyal Singh College, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, College of Vocational Studies and Hindu College. Due to the unavailability of a proper backstage area, inconvenience and congestion was experienced by the heavily costumed participants. The Fashion Society of Manav Rachna University emerged as the winner at Lifestyle, with their fashionable take on Sikhism.
At the Western Group Dance Prelims, the blaring music surely impaired some auditory senses but the exuberant dance performances were a treat to the eye. The audience burst into hoots as societies dropped groovy moves. Peppy playlists combined with flashy lighting set the mood at the Seminar Hall of IIT Delhi. Outside, the venue, a chaotic queue of youngsters were seen behaving rowdily towards the gatekeepers who were reluctant to allow entry into the already-packed room. Gargi College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Motilal Nehru College, Shivaji College, Hansraj College and IIT Delhi qualified the first round, with Sri Aurobindo College and Daulat Ram College in the waiting list. Gargi College’s Enliven bagged the first position at Kaleidoscope followed by Spardha of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and Dance Club of IIT Delhi.
The Acapella competition contestants from 14 previously-shortlisted societies were spotted at Allegro, in their monotone society T-shirts. The audience of LHC121 also comprised non-participating societies and acapella admirers, who came to survey the performances. Encore, the Western Music Society of Daulat Ram College performed a medley of five songs. Euphony from Gargi College sent the audience into a state of idyll through their thoroughly rehearsed harmonies. Judges Joshua Peter and Akash Gadamsetty awarded the first position to Jesus and Mary College’s ECHO. Madhurima from Delhi Technological University bagged the second prize, and the third position was shared by Sri Venkateswara College’s Crescendo and Gargi’s Euphony.
The second half of the day commenced with the inauguration ceremony and the lightning of the lamp by Deputy Director of IIT Delhi, Prof M. Balakrishnan. The ceremony was anchored by Shubendu Sumbli, an IIT Delhi alumnus. It was followed by a short speech by Prof Mausam, VP of BRCA and Prof Rajesh Khanna, Dean of Students Affairs. The inauguration event ended on a musical note with Harmononium performing on stage. It performed a wide range of songs including Chaakar, Fakiri, Jhakar and Gubbare which took the audience’s breath away. It later on, added Marwaari songs to pep up their set.
The Quizzing Club, IIT Delhi organised A fan’s notes, an open sports quiz. Over 50 teams participated in teams of two or three. Eight teams made it to the final round. The quizmaster was Ashish Kumar Rai, an alumnus of IIT Delhi. The Literary Club of IIT Delhi organised a Slam Poetry Competition, Slam Blues. Twenty six participants were short listed for the event which was adjudged by Aditi Angiras, Indrajit Ghoshal, Saumya Kulshreshtha, and Ravie Solanky. The winners of the event were Seep Agrawal (1st prize, English), Ayushi Dwivedi (2nd prize, English), and Mohit Sethi (1st prize, Hindi). My Jottings, a Creative Writing Competition was also organised by the Literary Club of IIT Delhi. The results for it will be declared on October 15th.
In the prelims for the beatboxing event, a total of 33 teams participated in the prelims consisting of the Showcase Round and the battles. 16 teams proceed to the final round to be conducted on 14th October. The event was adjudged by Mr. Ishaan Nangia, Vice Champion of the first ever Indian Beatbox Championship. For Battle of the Bands, Acid Pit was declared the winner followed by Mirage and Over Root Third.
The day came to a magnificent close with The Local Train’s performance, which swept the crowd of it’s feet. With songs like Choo Lo, Dil Mere, Aaoge Tum Kabhi the band ensured that the crowd didn’t lose their enthusiasm even for a single minute.
Day 2 was packed with back-to-back competitions and the events went on till the wee hours.
At Tatva, the Fusion Band Competition, bands presented their creative compositions. The amalgamation of Hindustani Classical and Western tunes combined with an interactive stage presence enthralled the audience. Parameters performed a combination of Hindustani classical music, western rock and rapping through their compostion, ‘Alone’. The competition was adjudged by instrumentalist, engineer, and producer Yatin Srivastava. In his small feedback speech, he pointed out that no society exceeded the time limit and that the bands paid careful attention to music mixing. He also advised the bands to use a better stage presence for livlier performances. IIT Delhi’s MoonShine won the first prize. The second position was bagged by Parameters from the College of Vocational Studies, followed by Amity University’s Metronome who was the second runner-up. As announced by IIT Delhi’s Music Society, Ruhaaniyat, the top three best performances were Sri Venkateswara College’s Where’s My Bag, followed by Five One Nine from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, and then Black Beat from Ramjas.
Sprightly vocal percussions left the crowd spellbound at the second round Beat Boxing Competition of IIT Delhi’s Rendezvous’18. The shortlisted 16 participants were adjudged by Ishan Nangia, Sri Venkateswara College student and Vice Champion of the first ever Indian Beatbox Championship. At the LHC Informal Stage area, a large crowd of beatboxing enthusiasts turned up despite changes in the event’s schedule not being properly conveyed. Aranya Banerjee, received a congratulatory hoist for bagging the first position. The winner received a cash prize of Rs. 5000, followed by first runner-up Jatin Pant who received a prize of Rs. 3000.
An exciting array of performances focusing on a multitude of poignant themes ranging from menstrual and religious regression to Indian education policy, displayed all day from the morning to the evening in Mimansa, the street play competition. Out of the 12 finalists, the team of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Natuve won the event with the title of overall best performance as College of Vocational Studies and Maharaja Agarsen Institur of Technology followed. The best actress went to Shivaji College whereas the best Actor was a student of Maharaja Agarsen Institute of Technology. Best music was unsurprisingly won by Sri Venketeshwar College; best director was won by Hindu College; best entertaining play went to the hosts, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The event was sponsored by Theatreleela and adjudged by Varun Sharma, director and owner of Theatreleela.
The highly anticipated Campus Princess pageant was also organised. The event was judged by Viren Barman, Peter England Mr. India 2016. The judge acknowledged the extensive participation of 51 contestants this time when he said, “I was trying to take a picture but I couldn’t fit you all in the frame!”. Last year’s title winners were also conducive in enhancing the morale of the contestants as they shared their own experiences with everyone and narrated their transformation stories after winning the title.
Far from all this, the atmosphere was an absolute envelope of peace at Aagaz, the group Indian Classical Music competition was organised. In the baritone and the soft yet bold lilting of the participating 15 teams from across the state, the audiences were left swooning. Girls took the first two positions as Alahyaa, the Indian Classical Music society of Daulat Ram College and Sangeetika of Kamla Nehru College won the first and second positions respectively, with Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College in the third place.
The Debating Club of IITD hosted the annual edition of its freshers’ parliamentary debate titled Debutant. Constituting five rounds, a plethora of debating themes were up on offer as twelve teams from a variety of colleges, including but not limited to CBS, JMC, Ashoka, and Hindu, finally made it through to the prequarters stage.
The KTM roadshow was another contrast to the peace. With breathtaking stunts defying the laws of gravity, the performers left the audiences’ jaws wide open. As their tires dusted gravel around, a crowd of a hundred students found a thrilling experience becoming real.
Another interesting event of the day, the Comedy Hunt was also organised. Judges Milind Kapoor and Anubhav Singh Bassi, renowned stand-up comedians themselves laughed heartily with a crowd of 500 students cheering for the participants sharing their ridiculous stories. Mohak Arora was named the winner of the event. Most stand-ups focused on deeper social causes, striking just the right balance between conedy and reality.
During the late hours of the evening, Barkha Dutt was in conversation with Prashant Kishor at the Dogra Hall. In the beginning, Prashant Kishor talked extensively about his personal equations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He also spoke about his bond with Rahul Gandhi. He believes that BJP is going to lead in the 2019 elections. He further said that it’s good to have an ideology. However, he asks the youth to not get intoxicated by it. After the session, when asked by one of the audience members whether it’s possible for commoners to enter politics, he says, very frankly that it is very difficult to enter politics if you don’t happen to have a popular surname. Prakash Kishor also very cheekily mentioned that the country could have done without demonetization. At the end of the interview, he mentions that he would have loved to work with LK Advani for he believes that he’s a great campaigner.
Follwing this, the final rounds for Lifestyle and Kaleidoscope were organised, and the day culminated in fervour and renewed energy for the next day’s events.
